Search form

All AWN Content

Headline News

NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 Now Available Top to Bottom

NVIDIA extends its Quadro FX 5600 and Quadro FX 4600, based on an industry-changing unified architecture, with the launch of new mid-range and entry-level 2D and 3D Quadro boards for professionals in the CAD/CAM, DCC, medical imaging, digital video and financial sectors. The new Quadro professional graphics also redefine the price/performance dynamic for professional graphics -- from the Quadro FX 370, available for the unprecedented entry price of $129 MSRP to the Quadro FX 1700, with an MSRP of $699.

Festival Headline News

Computer Animation Festival to Evolve for SIGGRAPH 2008

Submissions are now being accepted for SIGGRAPH 2008's Computer Animation Festival, according to Entertainment Director Jill Smolin. Adopting the theme Evolve, the conference returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The conference will take place Aug. 11-15, with the exhibition occurring Aug. 12-14.

Among the changes you can expect for the 2008 edition of the Computer Animation Festival:

* Three main venues:1. The Competition ScreeningsThese are screenings of all accepted juried submissions

Effects Headline News

Riot Expands Feature VFX Team

Riot of Santa Monica has made several senior level additions to its Feature Visual Effects team as it moves forward on a series of new film projects. Visual Effects Supervisor David Jones, best known for his work on BLACK HAWK DOWN, BAD BOYS II and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, now heads the studio's creative team and oversees work on all of its feature-related projects.

Additionally, Riot has brought on Digital Effects Supervisor Jamie Hallett, formerly with Intelligent Creatures, and Visual Effects Producers Ben Seymour and Erika McKee, both formerly of Rhythm & Hues.

Award Headline News

Aardman Announces New Storytelling Award

Aardman Animation has announced the launch of "The Aardman Award for Storytelling," a prize that will be available to EU students who have made a frame-by-frame or computer-assisted animated film between Oct. 1, 2006 and Oct. 1, 2007. The winner will receive an expenses-paid trip to the Aardman Studio in Bristol, as well as several days of dramaturgical/script support to discuss the development of his or her film.

Animation Headline News

Il Luster Releases Best Animation from Holland DVD

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

Il Luster Prods. has released a collection of animated shorts titled BEST ANIMATION FROM HOLLAND VOL. 1. The eleven much awarded films on the DVD are unique and remarkable products noted for their high quality, clever ingenuity and daring approach to subject matter. The graphic design reflects the centuries old and high-standing Dutch graphic arts.

Animation Headline News

Studio Arts to Offer Tra-Digital Animation Training with Toon Boom in Fall 2007

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

Studio Arts has announced it will be offering a full suite of training classes using Toon Boom Animation's Digital Pro and Storyboard Pro software. The intent of the beginning-to-advanced training courses is to provide 2D animators and other artists a thorough grounding in Toon Boom's "paperless" animation system. Toon Boom courses are due to start Oct. 6, 2007 and, along with CSATTF and ETP funding, there will be "scholarship seats" for each class that are fully-funded by Studio Arts.

Mipcom Headline News

Disney Channel Pres Ross To Keynote At MIPCOM Jr. 2007

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

Rich Ross, President of Disney Channel Worldwide, will present a keynote address on the second day of MIPCOM Junior, which will be held on the Oct. 6-7, 207, at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes.

Rich Ross, who has been with The Walt Disney Co. for 11 years, manages the company's successful and burgeoning global kids' TV business, a total of 67 channel feeds around the world. He is a key member of the team behind the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL franchise. Ross will share the reasons behind the channel's phenomenal success during his keynote speech at MIPCOM.

Film Headline News

Weinsteins Write Check for Diary of the Dead

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

The Weinstein Co. have snatched up the North American and Mexican rights to George A. Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD for $2 to $2.5 million, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The purchase came on the heals of its screening at the Toronto Film Festival's Midnight Madness. Some of the offers coming out the fest were for home entertainment only, so the Weinsteins' sweetened the deal with a theatrical guarantee.

The fourth sequel in Romero's LIVING DEAD series follows a group of film students who encounter real zombies during the production of a horror flick.

Business Headline News

LAIKA Taps Former H-B Exec, Raises Travis Knight

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

LAIKA Inc. has made two new appointments to its management team. Former Lucasfilm and Hanna-Barbera exec Alan Keith has joined the studio as VP, Business Operations/CFO and Travis Knight has been promoted to VP, Animation.

Keith, who has more than 20 years of finance experience in both corporate and movie studio settings, will be responsible for leading the expansion of LAIKA's business operations as LAIKA continues to grow its pipeline of animated feature films, television commercials, music videos, broadcast graphics and short films.

Film Headline News

Raccoon & Crawfish Wins Moondance Sandcastle Award for Animation

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12:00am

RACCOON & CRAWFISH, the first 3D-animated short film created by the Oneida Nation's Four Direction Prods., won first place in the animation category at the 2007 Moondance International Film Festival. Moondance is a major venue for the exhibition and promotion of feature and short films in the U.S. and one of the leading indie film festivals in the world.

Blogs

This Weekend's Film Festival Contemplates 9/11

With the sixth anniversary of 9/11 this week, like many others, I felt it's a fitting time to contemplate the many issues and feelings that surround that terrible day. In choosing films for This Weekend's Film Festival's lineup, I specifically stayed away from films that have politicized the attacks. I truly believe in the age-old words of wisdom that if we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it. It's equally true that one needs to know their enemy in order to defeat them. The films I have collected deal with various aspects of topics that connect directly with September 11th, including the Taliban, terrorism and the lives lost as well as those who survived. In only five films, there is no way to cover the many aspects of what 9/11 means to everyone. So I've decided to use a collection of films that deal with terrorism and then the events of 9/11 as captured on film.

Film Events

Fantoche 07

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 11:00am
Begins: September 11, 2007

Fantoche, the International Show of Animation Film, will be held in Baden near Zurich for the sixth time. The biannual film festival is one of world's most accomplished and distinguished for animation film. It is also the largest event of its kind in Switzerland.

Films Events

MadCat Women's International Film Festival 2007

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 11:00am
Begins: September 11, 2007

The 11th Annual MadCat Film Festival seeks provocative and visionary films and videos directed or co-directed by women. Films can be of any length or genre and produced ANY year. MadCat is committed to showcasing work that challenges the use of sound and image and explores notions of visual storytelling. All subjects/topics will be considered. Early deadline is March 23, 2007, and the final deadline is May 21, 2007. For an entry form and more details go to www.madcatfilmfestival.org or call (415) 436-9523.

Series Headline News

Evil Goldfish Nets New Territories

PorchLight Ent. has announced new sales of the Sardine Prods. 2D animated series MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL! following the renewal of the series for a second season of 13 episodes by Canadaâs CBC and Radio-Canada. Including the Canadian sales, the series has been cleared in more than 50 countries.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for Sept. 10, 2007

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

This week in AWN's Forums, members are chatting about TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU and KIM POSSIBLE. The thread grows on how to make Flash look like cel animation. The book THE ILLUSION OF LIFE spurs debate. Another continues to discuss Blu-ray versus HDDVD. A popular thread asks -- Did you think you led a good life? As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Mobile Headline News

Asteroids Crashes onto Mobile Phones

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

Glu Mobile Inc. announced the launch of the classic Atari arcade hit, ASTEROIDS, for mobile phones. The original arcade game released by Atari in 1979 is among the most recognized and successful arcade games of all time. The classic retro space shooter has been reinvented specifically for the mobile platform, with all new enhancements including new themes, bonuses and gameplay modes, as well as "classic mode," which gives gamers the gameplay and graphics true to the original game.

Headline News

Captain Flamingo Lands On Jetix Programming Block

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

Breakthrough Animation has landed the Jetix programming block, which airs on Toon Disney, as the U.S. broadcast home for its comedy-adventure animated series CAPTAIN FLAMINGO.

Jetix has licensed all 52 half-hours (104x11) of the animated series aimed at kids 6-12, and 44 minutes of separate CAPTAIN FLAMINGO content produced especially for the Internet and the mobile platform, including story vignettes, original songs and more.

Film Headline News

Animated Ten Commandments Coming to Theaters

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

American Cinema Int'l (aci-americancinemainternational.com) has announced that its animated feature, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, is set for a U.S. theatrical release on Oct. 19, 2007. The film will have its market debut during this year's American Film Market.

The CG feature is the first in a branded twelve-film series from Promenade Pictures, the family driven production and distribution outfit established by former studio head Frank Yablans. The film also marks the company's entry into the U.S. theatrical distribution arena.

Headline News

Luxology Ships modo 301

Luxology announced the immediate availability of modo 301, the newest version of its award-winning, artist-friendly 3D content creation software. Available for both Mac OSX and Windows, modo 301 is a milestone release that features new sculpting and item animation, as well as extensive improvements to its modeling, painting and rendering toolsets.

Music Headline News

Grateful Dead Join Rock Band Videogame

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

Harmonix, MTV Games and Rhino Ent. announced a deal that will bring the legendary band Grateful Dead to the highly anticipated music videogame ROCK BAND. The iconic group is making 18 master recordings from its diverse catalog available as digitally distributed game levels following ROCK BAND's release this holiday season. Among the songs available will be the classic Dead tracks "Truckin'," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia" and "Casey Jones."

Digital Headline News

Lucasfilm's Datacenter to be Powered by Quad-Core AMD Opteron

At the launch of the new Quad Core AMD Opteron processor at Lucasfilm Ltd.'s Letterman Digital Arts Center (LDAC), AMD and Lucasfilm announced an expansion of the companies' relationship focused on building the world's most advanced and energy-efficient datacenters for producing digital arts and entertainment.

Headline News

Bionic Woman Gains Friday Consultant

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

In light of the recent departure of BIONIC WOMAN's co-showrunner Glen Morgan, producers of the NBC series have brought on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS showrunner Jason Katims as a consultant, reports VARIETY. Katims, who was the creator of UPN's ROSWELL, will help develop the direction of the fledgling series as well as pen scripts. David Eick, who produced BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, is the sole showrunner on BIONIC now. Jason Smilovic is the exec producer.

Games Headline News

Take-Two's New 2K Play Label To Publish Nick Games

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. announced the formation of 2K Play, a new publishing label dedicated to casual gaming. As part of the 2K Play initiative, Take-Two also announced an expansive new handheld and console videogame licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, a partnership involving properties including Nick Jr. preschool television hits, DORA THE EXPLORER and GO, DIEGO, GO!

DORA THE EXPLORER and GO, DIEGO, GO! will be the first titles under the new 2K Play label and will be released this fall in North America.

Film Headline News

Tron 2 Gets New Life with New Director

By Rick DeMott | Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 12:00am

Walt Disney Pictures is in final talks with commercial helmer Joseph Kosinski to develop and direct "the next chapter" of TRON, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Live Planet's Sean Bailey is producing along with original's co-writer and director Steven Lisberger, who will oversee visual and script development.

Pages